Cookie Dough
by smashingmolko
Summary: Naruto is quite content with his life; he has a job he 'enjoys,' friends and a bright future ahead of him, it's a shame he doesn't quite have the inspiration he needs to really push himself. Until, of course, in walks a moody businessman who happens to hold all the cards needed for Naruto to make it as a writer. Sasuxnaru with the very real possibility of yaoi and some fluff


**Cookie dough.**

**Chapter one:  
Tedium.**

_"I wanted more,  
than life could ever grant me.  
Bored by the chore  
of saving face". - Today_**  
**

**A/N Another SasuNaru? When will I stop? I wanted to write something a little lighter than my other work, I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I do! (:  
- Chantelle**

**xXx**

For every five minutes that he checked the time it seemed half an hour had passed. He was only two hours away from clocking out and those last two hours dragged out painfully, mostly because of how empty the little café had been all afternoon.

Naruto had seen a total of four people in the last hour or so.

Some days it would get so busy he'd miss both of his breaks and he'd be home almost as soon as he'd arrived. He loved days like that, he spent far too much time working. If he had it his way he'd never leave his apartment.  
There was, however, a positive to the quiet moments he shared with himself; it gave him time to write.

While the café paid his bills, it was just a temporary solution until he could get his work published. He did enjoy it though. His manager Shikamaru, a lazy guy not much older than the rest of the staff, was quite laid back and supportive of Naruto's writing. He even bought him a little black binder for Naruto to keep the stray clippings of till paper he wrote on in his spare time.

After a short while Naruto printed off a piece of paper, put his head down and got to work. Every so often he looked up to check for customers and was both pleased and disappointed to see no-one every single time.

The shop was barren, and with that he let himself relax and got into the zone. He was up to chapter five and it was developing a lot slower than he'd expected. He had the motivation he just didn't have the inspiration.

There was something missing.

It had started off quite typical; boy meets girl, they fall in love. Only they hadn't fallen in love yet. He just couldn't do it. He didn't really know how to write about love.

Sure he'd been in relationships before, even ones with girls, but it didn't feel right. He couldn't connect to the characters and he was frustrated with himself. Nothing sounded right.

It was important that he buckle down, now more than ever, and produce something amazing. He had a publicist; Jiraiya was his name and he wasn't so much _Naruto's _publicist yet, but rather his God father who could make things happen for him if he ever got around to completing his book.

Jiraiya was an author too, that's where Naruto found his passion.

It took several minutes for Naruto to get started, but once he did he stuck his head down and managed to spill out five or six pages before a vexed clearing of the throat interrupted him.

"Huh?"

He looked up, dumbfounded, and scratched the back of his head.

"Sorry."  
He said sheepishly.  
"What can I get for you?"

The young man in-front of the counter didn't look any less displeased by his apology but ordered his coffee anyway and took a seat while Naruto made it.  
Naruto poked his head over the top of the coffee machine and turned his curious eyes onto his ill-tempered customer who had made himself comfortable at a nearby counter.

He had pulled out his laptop and was engrossed in whatever he seemed to be reading.  
Naruto couldn't help but wonder what exactly the guy did; he was at least the same age and clearly a businessman of sorts.  
He couldn't have even left University yet.

It was a shrill screeching sound that pulled him out of his thoughts. He had lost focus on steaming the milk and pulled the wand out, squirting milk all over himself.

"Damnit!"

The young businessman looked up but said nothing. Luckily for Naruto the milk wasn't burnt, just bubbly.  
It would have to do.

He poured it in to a take away cup and called out before retreating to the counter. He could get a better look from there.  
The guy hadn't seemed to notice his coffee was ready and so out of politeness and slight irritation Naruto called out to him once more.

"Hey, I said it's ready for you."

His customer lowered his brows and frowned at him.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it your job to bring it out to me? I'm sure you don't get paid to stand around and do nothing."

'_The nerve o that guy! Dickhead.'_

"You asked for take-away, if you wanted special service you should have asked for 'have here.'"

It wasn't like Naruto could throw him out or kick his ass, but no-one else was around to hear him mouth off and he wasn't going to deal with another rude customer.

On average he had a ratio of one pleasant customer for every ten or so unpleasant customers. It brought him down sometimes but it made it all the better when someone friendly. It brightened up his days significantly.

In some sort of act of defiance, Naruto waited in vain as 'dickhead' returned to his laptop and showed no signs of retrieving the coffee.  
He just had to be difficult.

Disgruntled, Naruto made his way around the counter and retrieved the coffee. When he took it over he made sure to convey his absolute exasperation with the situation. It was the end of the day, he was exhausted and he didn't need this.

Dickhead said nothing. He didn't even look up from his screen.

That suited Naruto just fine. He returned to his story and plunged deep into the kingdom of his imagination. After at least a minute he raised his head again.

He couldn't concentrate. He couldn't think at all; he was too pissed off, he couldn't shake this guy.  
Who was he anyway? He was so serious for his age. It wouldn't be long before frown lines plagued his pale complexion if he kept it up.

He sure was pale too. Not in a freakish way, more like milk; smooth, silky milk and he had dark, jet black hair to contrast.

How could he be so grumpy and serious when he looked like that? Naruto could only imagine what life would have been like if he'd been graced with _his _good looks. The girls would swarm him for one thing, and he'd never get lonely. He'd always have somebody to love him.  
The guy had these weird eyes too; they were so dark and yet they were so warm.  
The guy was such a dick, it didn't make much sense. He tried to work out it out in his head.

Maybe he was a family man? Really shut off and cold, but then when he got home he was kind and patient.  
There had to be a reason behind why he was wearing that suit too. It wasn't anything too special; dark navy with a pale blue shirt underneath and a black tie. Plain and simple yet professional, still, it must have been expensive so he was pulling in a decent pay-check for someone in, Naruto assumed, their early twenties.

He was so focused lost in some kind of trance when suddenly a low voice snapped him back into consciousness.

"Can I help you with something? Is there some reason why you're staring at me?"

Shame tinged his cheeks an unnatural scarlet. He hadn't even realized he was staring; it was nothing more than a harmless curiosity.  
Naruto tried to laugh it off but it came out nervous and little higher pitched than he had intended.

"Sorry! I was just wondering what you do."

He pointed at the suit and the guy looked down.

"You look a little young to be dressed like that is all."

He didn't have high expectations of shedding some of his embarrassment or making the situation any more comfortable, not that he ever had been off to a good start, so he wasn't surprised by the heated response thrown at him.

"That's none of your business, it's also incredibly inappropriate of you. Is there a manager around?"

He stood and made his way over to Naruto, trying to glimpse behind him in case there was an office or something hidden out the back.  
There was a lone staff room door that caught his attention.

"Is there anyone else here? I'm getting quite sick of you; I'd like to speak with a manager."

He was aggravated but spoke in a rather calm voice.  
Thankfully, or not, Shikamaru had gone home and so had everyone else. Naruto had to defend himself this time and everything he said seemed to be making the situation worse.

"Look, I'm sorry I offended you, no-one else is here so if you wanna complain then come back tomorrow."

He said that with some confidence because he was pretty sure the pissy bastard wouldn't. He would be shocked if he ever came back at all. At least that was what he was hoping anyway. He'd never wanted to go home and never have to deal with another customer more in his entire life.

This guy was a class A prick.

"I might just do that."

He checked his watch and walked back to his table to collect his things in a hurry. He snatched up his laptop and coffee and in a huff he was gone.  
'_Phew.'  
_Naruto decided he'd be a problem to face tomorrow, if he did show up. He looked down at the till;

One hour left.

One was less than two; he had that going for him at least. Since the café had cleared out again Naruto figured he could work on his story without any more distractions.  
The till papers were still scattered around the counter and so he stuffed them into his miniature binder and printed off a fresh piece of till. He hadn't seen a stray float silently off the counter when he closed the book shut.

He had only written down the first sentence when he heard fast approaching footsteps on the hard wooden floor.

The guy was back, albeit a bit flushed, and scanning the café. He must have forgotten something.

"Where is it?"

He was growling at himself more so than Naruto, he spotted a sleek black phone sitting off to the side in front of the eftpos.

"Is this it?"

Naruto was less than amused. He just wanted the guy out of his store. As he came to collect his phone he spotted a piece of paper lying on the ground. He picked it up and gave it a quick read before holding it out to Naruto.

"Do you know who dropped this?"

Thinking it was nothing more than a disregarded receipt Naruto took a quick glance at it. It was a piece from his story.

"It's mine. Why?"

After he admitted to ownership he wished he hadn't. He was quite shy about his writing no matter how stubbornly he proclaimed he'd be the best. He still had far to go.  
He expected a snicker, a rude remark or something but was quite surprised by the smallest of smiles and the change in Dickhead's tone.

"Can I keep this?"  
"If you really want it, sure?"

He raised a quizzical brow. He couldn't understand it. The guy was such an enigma. Naruto didn't really care about the paper, his work writing barely ever made into his story. It was mostly for fun. Besides, he liked the freedom of thinking a little harder about what he was writing, he liked to plan.

"Thanks."

With nothing else to say the guy grabbed his phone and took off before he could hear Naruto's muttered response;

"Bye then?"

**xXx**


End file.
